Statement of His Holiness the Dalai Lamaon the Occasion of the 41st
Anniversary ofTibetan National Uprising Day

March 10th 2000

My sincere greetings to my fellow countrymen in Tibet as well as in
exile and to our friends and supporters all over the world on the
occasion of the 41st anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day of
1959.

We are at the beginning of the 21st century. If we look at the events
that took place in the 20th century mankind made tremendous progress in
improving our material well-being. At the same time, there was massive
destruction, both in terms of human lives and physical structures as
peoples and nations sought recourse to confrontation instead of dialogue
to resolve bilateral and multilateral problems. The 20th century was
therefore in a way a century of war and bloodshed. I believe that we
have learned valuable lessons through these experiences. It is clear
that any solution resulting from violence or confrontation is not
lasting. I firmly believe that it is only through peaceful means that we
can develop better understanding between ourselves. We must make this
new century a century of peace and dialogue.

We commemorate this March 10th anniversary at a time when the state of
affairs of our freedom struggle is complex and multifarious, yet the
spirit of resistance of our people inside Tibet continues to increase.
It is also encouraging to note that worldwide support for our cause is
increasing. Unfortunately, on the part of Beijing there is an evident
lack of political will and courage to address the issue of Tibet
sensibly and pragmatically through dialogue.

Right from the beginning, ever since the time of our exile, we have
believed in hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. In this
same spirit, we have tried our best to reach out to the Chinese
government to bring about a process of dialogue and reconciliation for
many years. We have also been building bridges with our overseas
Chinese brothers and sisters, including those in Taiwan, and to enhance
significantly mutual understanding, respect and solidarity.
At the same time we have continued with our work of strengthening the
base of our exiled community by creating awareness about the true nature
of the Tibetan struggle, preserving Tibetan values, promoting
nonviolence, augmenting democracy and expanding the network of our
supporters throughout the world.

It is with great sadness I report that the human rights situation in
Tibet today has taken a critical turn in recent years. The "strike
hard" and "patriotic re-education" campaigns against Tibetan religion
and patriotism have intensified with each passing year. In some spheres
of life we are witnessing the return of an atmosphere of intimidation,
coercion and fear, reminiscent of the days of the Cultural Revolution.
In 1999 alone there have been six known cases of deaths resulting from
torture and abuse. Authorities have expelled a total of 1,432 monks and
nuns from their monasteries and nunneries for refusing to either oppose
Tibetan freedom or to denounce me. There are 615 known and documented
Tibetan political prisoners in Tibet. Since 1996, a total of 11,409
monks and nuns have been expelled from their places of worship and
study. It is obvious that there has been little change with regard to
China’s ruthless political objective in Tibet since the early sixties
when the late Panchen Lama, who personally witnessed Communist China’s
occupation of Tibet from the 50s to the beginning of the 60s, wrote his
famous 70,000 character petition. Even today the present young
reincarnate Panchen Lama is under virtual house arrest, making him the
youngest political prisoner in the world. I am deeply concerned about
this.

The most alarming trend in Tibet is the flood of Chinese settlers who
continue to come to Tibet to take advantage of Tibet's opening to market
capitalism. This along with the widespread disease of prostitution,
gambling and karaoke bars, which the authorities quietly encourage, is
undermining the traditional social norms and moral values of the Tibetan
people. These, more than brute force, are successful in reducing the
Tibetans to a minority in their own country and alienating them from
their traditional beliefs and values.

This sad state of affairs in Tibet does nothing to alleviate the
suffering of the Tibetan people or to bring stability and unity to the
People’s Republic of China. If China is seriously concerned about
unity, she must make honest efforts to win over the hearts of the
Tibetans and not attempt to impose her will on them. It is the
responsibility of those in power, who rule and govern, to ensure that
policies towards all its ethnic groups are based on equality and justice
in order to prevent separation. Though lies and falsehood may deceive
people temporarily and the use of force may control human beings
physically, it is only through proper understanding, fairness and mutual
respect that human beings can be genuinely convinced and satisfied.

The Chinese authorities see the distinct culture and religion of Tibet
as the principal cause for separation. Accordingly, there is an attempt
to destroy the integral core of the Tibetan civilization and identity.
New measures of restrictions in the fields of culture, religion and
education coupled with the unabated influx of Chinese immigrants to
Tibet amount to a policy of cultural genocide.

It is true that the root cause of the Tibetan resistance and freedom
struggle lies in Tibet's long history, its distinct and ancient culture,
and its unique identity. The Tibetan issue is much more complex and
deeper than the simple official version Beijing upholds. History is
history and no one can change the past. One cannot simply retain what
one wants and abandon what one does not want. It is best left to
historians and legal experts to study the case objectively and make
their own judgements. In matters of history political decisions are not
necessary. I am therefore looking towards the future.

Because of lack of understanding, appreciation and respect for Tibet's
distinct culture, history and identity China's Tibet policies have been
consistently misguided. In occupied Tibet there is little room for
truth. The use of force and coercion as the principal means to rule and
administer Tibet compel Tibetans to lie out of fear and local officials
to hide the truth and create false facts in order to suit and to please
Beijing and its stewards in Tibet. As a result China's treatment of
Tibet continues to evade the realities in Tibet. This approach is
shortsighted and counter-productive. These policies are narrow-minded
and reveal the ugly face of racial and cultural arrogance and a deep
sense of political insecurity. The development concerning the flights of
Agya Rinpoche, the Abbot of Kumbum Monastery, and more recently Karmapa
Rinpoche are cases in point. However, the time has passed when in the
name of national sovereignty and integrity a state can continue to apply
such ruthless policies with impunity and escape international
condemnation. Moreover, the Chinese people themselves will deeply
regret the destruction of Tibet's ancient and rich cultural heritage. I
sincerely believe that our rich culture and spirituality not only can
benefit millions of Chinese but can also enrich China itself.

It is unfortunate that some leaders of the People’s Republic of China
seem to be hoping for the Tibetan issue to disappear with the passage of
time. Such thinking on the part of the Chinese leaders is to repeat the
miscalculations made in the past. Certainly, no Chinese leader would
have thought back in 1949/50 and then in 1959 that in 2000 China would
still be grappling with the issue of Tibet. The old generation of
Tibetans has gone, a second and a third generation of Tibetans have
emerged. Irrespective of the passage of time the freedom struggle of
the Tibetan people continues with undiminished determination. It is
clear that this is not a struggle for the cause of one man nor is it
that of one generation of Tibetans. It is therefore obvious that
generations of Tibetans to come will continue to cherish, honor and
commit themselves to this freedom struggle. Sooner or later, the
Chinese leadership will have to face this fact.

The Chinese leaders refuse to believe that I am not seeking separation
but genuine autonomy for the Tibetans. They are quite openly accusing me
of lying. They are free to come and visit our communities in exile to
find out the truth for themselves.

It has been my consistent endeavor to find a peaceful and mutually
acceptable solution to the Tibetan problem. My approach envisages that
Tibet enjoy genuine autonomy within the framework of the People's
Republic of China. Such a mutually beneficial solution would contribute
to the stability and unity of China - their two topmost priorities -
while at the same time the Tibetans would be ensured of the basic right
to preserve their own civilization and to protect the delicate
environment of the Tibetan plateau.

In the absence of any positive response from the Chinese government to
my overtures over the years, I am left with no alternative but to appeal
to the members of the international community. It is clear now that
only increased and concerted international efforts will persuade Beijing
to change its policy on Tibet. In spite of immediate negative reactions
from the Chinese side, I strongly believe that such expressions of
international concern and support are essential for creating an
environment conducive for the peaceful resolution of the Tibetan
problem. On my part, I remain committed to the process of dialogue. It
is my firm belief that dialogue and a willingness to look with honesty
and clarity at the reality of Tibet can lead us to a viable solution.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the numerous individuals,
governments, members of parliaments, non-governmental organizations and
various religious orders for their support. The sympathy and support
shown to our cause by a growing number of well-informed Chinese brothers
and sisters is of special significance and a great encouragement to us
Tibetans. I also wish to convey my greetings and express my deep sense
of appreciation to our supporters all over the world who are
commemorating this anniversary today. Above all I would like to express
on behalf of the Tibetans our gratitude to the people and the Government
of India for their unsurpassed generosity and support during these past
forty years of our exile.

With my homage to the brave men and women of Tibet who have died for the
cause of our freedom, I pray for an early end to the sufferings of our
people.